Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of egg production is registered as free range.

Ross Finnie: On the basis of information derived from the 2003 Agricultural Census the breakdown of Scottish registered hen places, by production type and expressed as a percentage, is as follows:

  


Free Range

24%



Barn

8%



Cage

68%

Agriculture

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of concerns that unnecessary burdens are being placed on Scottish agriculture by the interpretation of EU directives by (a) government and (b) commercial consultants.

Ross Finnie: The Executive's policy is to implement EU legislation in a way which minimises the burdens on Scottish agriculture consistent with the requirements of proper financial control and compliance with the law. As to interpretations by commercial consultants, the Executive has no specific locus on this issue or information on such interpretations.

Ambulance Service

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were conveyed to out-patient hospital appointments by the Scottish Ambulance Service Non-Emergency Service in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information below details all out-patient journeys carried out by the Scottish Ambulance Non-Emergency Service:

  

 

1999-2000

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04



Argyll and Clyde

141,095

137,889

135,688

135,616

136,769



Ayrshire and Arran

121,681

129,398

137,869

146,178

127,339



Borders

32,460

33,050

32,433

28,788

25,527



Dumfries and Galloway

37,883

40,350

41,811

39,766

38,104



Fife

101,160

101,327

86,531

93,895

90,915



Forth Valley

115,519

106,715

105,505

101,062

94,837



Grampian

128,046

119,498

111,069

94,075

78,826



Greater Glasgow

358,490

354,111

340,280

333,229

279,238



Highland

60,298

63,924

63,746

61,911

64,303



Lanarkshire

250,287

247,322

235,565

205,766

195,695



Lothian

192,610

174,362

154,122

130,525

111,585



Orkney

1,690

1,747

1,230

652

Not available



Shetland

1,234

1,168

1,194

356

Not available



Tayside

128,474

124,549

114,333

104,533

100,780



Western Isles

7,993

7,467

6,607

6,812

6,194



Total

1,678,920

1,642,877

1,567,983

1,483,164

1,350,112

Ambulance Service

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the 2004-05 budget is for hospital out-patient visits conveyed by the Scottish Ambulance Service Non-Emergency Service, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested can only be broken down to the Ambulance Service's Operating Divisions and not to NHS board area. The information broken down to divisional area is set out in the attached table:

  


Division
(Covering NHS Board Areas)

Budget for Direct Non-Emergency Costs
(£)



North East (Grampian, Orkney and Shetland)

1,876,557



North and West (Highland and Western Isles)

1,213,521



East Central (Tayside, Fife and Forth Valley)

4,582,264



West Central (Lanarkshire and Greater Glasgow)

5,974,922



South East (Lothian and Borders)

3,066,134



South West (Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire and Arran, Argyll and Clyde)

4,508,754



Total

21,222,152

Ambulance Service

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients with hospital out-patient appointments were unable to attend the appointments, or had to make alternative transport arrangements, due to the Scottish Ambulance Service non-emergency vehicles being booked to capacity, broken down by NHS board in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not available.

Ambulance Service

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial provision is made for patients attending hospital out-patient appointments by public transport, including taxis, when the Scottish Ambulance Service non-emergency vehicles are booked to capacity, broken down by NHS board.

Malcolm Chisholm: The responsibility to commission non-emergency ambulance transport lies with medical practitioners, practicing midwives or dentists who determine when there is a clinical need for ambulance transport. The Scottish Ambulance Service Non-Emergency Service will endeavour to meet all such requests.

  The NHS boards received guidance on patients' entitlement to financial help in meeting reasonable travelling and related costs incurred in attending hospitals and clinics on 21 August 1996 in Management Executive Letter (1996) 70. The boards are known to use a number of alternative transport options such as taxis, hospitals' own car services and voluntary organisations to provide other means of transport for their patients where this is appropriate. The cost of these services will vary across the country as some may be subsidised. Information on the actual costs incurred by NHS boards is not held centrally.

Care of Elderly People

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in order to continue funding free personal care, in light of the projected increase in the size of the elderly population over the next 30 years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The existing policy on free personal care has been in place for less than two years and the Executive is still monitoring its operation, including in light of the latest population projections.

Disclosure Scotland

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set for Disclosure Scotland for the clearance of teachers transferring employment between local authorities.

Cathy Jamieson: Disclosure Scotland does not have a target specific to teachers. Their general target is to process 90% of applications within 14 calendar days.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to review recently published GDP data and its implementation of the new chain-linking methodology for calculating Scottish GDP in light of the statement by Nicholas Crafts of the London School of Economics, reported in the Sunday Herald on 14 March 2004, that "if mortality risks in Scotland were overnight to fall to English levels, the consumption equivalent of the welfare gain would be £2912 per person, or 21.3% of the 2001 GDP".

  The member has provided the following Gaelic translation: 

  A dh' fhaighneachd de Riaghaltas na h-Alba dè na ceumannan a bhios e a' gabhail gus ath-sgrùdadh a dhèanamh air an dàta GDP ùr-fhoillsichte agus air an dòigh anns a bheil e a' cur an gnìomh an dòigh cheangail-slabhraidh ùr gus GDP na h-Alba obrachadh a-mach, mar thoireadh air an aithris aig Nicholas Crafts à Sgoil Eaconamachd Lunnainn, air an deach iomradh a thoirt anns an Sunday Herald 14 Màrt 2004, "nan tuiteadh cunnartan bàsmhorachd ann an Alba gu grad gu ìrean Sasannach, bhiodh an t-samhail-chaitheimh de bhuannachd nan sochairean ionnan ri £2,912 airson gach neach, no 21.3% den GDP ann an 2001".

Mr Jim Wallace: Annual estimates of the cash value of GDP for Scotland and other regions of the UK are produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of Regional Accounts. It is these estimates which would be directly affected by any consumption changes. These are based on a different methodology from that used in the UK and Scottish quarterly GDP indices. Chainlinking methodology is only applicable to estimating volume growth, and as Regional Accounts are produced in current price values, the methodology is not relevant.

  There are no plans to review the methodology for the quarterly Scottish GDP index.

  The Executive has provided the following translation:

  Tha measaidhean bliadhnail air luach airgead GDP airson Alba agus roinnean eile den RA air an dèanamh le Oifis nan Staitistig Nàiseanta (ONS) mar phàirt de na Cunntasan Roinneil. 'S ann air na measaidhean sin a bhiodh buaidh dhìreach aig atharrachaidhean ann an caitheamh. Tha iad sin bonntaichte air dòigh-obrach eadar-dhealaichte bhon dòigh a tha air a chleachdadh ann an ìre GDP ràitheil na RA agus Alba. Chan eil dòigh cheangal-slabhraidh a' buntainn ach ri measadh air fàs tomaid a-mhàin, agus le Cunntasan Roinneil air an dèanamh ann an luachan prìse làithreach, chan eil an dòigh-obrach buntainneach.

  Chan eil planaichean sam bith ann airson ath-sgrùdadh air an dòigh-obrach airson ìre GDP ràitheil na h-Alba.

Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in respect of implementing its response to Determined to Succeed: A Review of Enterprise in Education .

Mr Jim Wallace: There has been significant progress since we published our response to Determined to Succeed . All 32 local authorities in Scotland are now actively engaged in delivering on the Enterprise in Education agenda. Our report – ‘‘ Determined to Succeed" One Year On - published today provides further details; copies have been placed in the Scottish Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 33144).

Employment

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2984 by Mr Jim Wallace on 13 October 2003, how many front-line staff who deal with the public worked in the public sector in each year from 1990 to 1996, broken down by profession.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

  Statistics on the number of people employed in the public and private sector in Scotland from 1994 to 2003 are also contained in Numbers in Public and Private Sector Employment by Industry in Scotland, a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 33095). This document is an updated version of document Public/Private sector Employment by Industry (Bib. number 29537), referred to in answer to parliamentary question S2W-2984 answered on 13 October 2003.

  Data prior to 1994 is not available as information classified for public and private sector is only available for 1994 onwards.

  Information contained in Numbers in Public and Private Sector Employment by Industry in Scotland (Bib. number 33095) has been revised compared with the information referred to in parliamentary question S2W-2984. In Spring 2004 all Labour Force Survey information was revised to reflect the results of the 2001 census.

Fire Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many fire fighters entered training in (a) 1999-00, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04, broken down by gender and ethnic background.

Hugh Henry: The information requested is given in a table entitled Recruitment to the Fire Service by gender and ethnic minority , a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 33107). It should be noted that not all those recruited to the fire service immediately enter training: some may be placed on a waiting list of successful applicants.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7453 by Mr Tom McCabe on 5 May 2004, how many access panels contain a representative who is deaf.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-8660 on 23 June 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the General Medical Council (GMC) regarding the registration of non-EU doctors.

Malcolm Chisholm: Registration is a matter reserved to the GMC. The Scottish Executive regularly keeps in contact with UK regulatory bodies and statutory authorities to ensure that these bodies give due regard to NHS Scotland in the exercise of their functions.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding the contracting-out of health care provision to independent providers to reduce waiting times for treatment.

Malcolm Chisholm: The independent health care sector in Scotland is very small in comparison with England. However, the National Waiting Times Unit will continue to work with independent providers to facilitate the use of their capacity by NHS boards on behalf of NHS patients in support of our waiting times guarantees and targets.

Hospitals

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the decision on the Queen Mother's Hospital will be reached.

Malcolm Chisholm: I will only reach a decision on this important matter when I have fully considered all of the information available to me and all of the representations made to me.

Local Government

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to make a commencement order in respect of section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Tavish Scott: The Executive has no such plans. I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6727 on 18 March 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Local Government

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Aberdeen City Council regarding the funding of public services and what the outcomes were of such discussions.

Tavish Scott: I met with Aberdeen City Council at their request on 18 February 2004 to discuss funding gaps that the council had identified, particularly in relation to community care.

  Following the meeting, the council have since written to Executive outlining their concerns in relation to children's services. The Deputy Minister for Education and Young People responded agreeing to meet with representatives from both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils as part of his summer tour.

Local Government Finance

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Aberdeenshire Council regarding the funding of public services and what the outcomes were of such discussions.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive last met with Aberdeenshire Council on 5 May 2004 and discussed issues relating to demand for secure and residential places for young people.

Local Government Finance

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the members of the review team that will conduct the independent review of local government finance.

Mr Andy Kerr: I am pleased to announce that the following have agreed to conduct the independent review of local government finance:

  Sir Peter Burt (chair)

  Professor John Baillie

  Peter Daniels

  Janet Lowe

  A short biography on each is contained within the press release announcing the members, which is available on the Scottish Executive website and copies of which will be placed in the Scottish Parliament's Reference Centre.

Museums

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the Scottish Football Museum to ensure that public funding for the museum has been spent on the purposes for which it was approved.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Football Association Museum Trust is a Scottish charity. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is therefore the body responsible for inquiries into allegations of misconduct or mismanagement in the museum's operation and is making investigations, as is normal practice after receiving a complaint.

National Engineering Laboratory

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has in respect of whether the seismic and structure testing facility at the former National Engineering Laboratory at East Kilbride is currently operational.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement it has had to ensure that the seismic and structure testing facility at the former National Engineering Laboratory at East Kilbride is maintained and what information it has on whether such a facility is unique in western Europe.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that the 50-tonne shaker table facility remains in service at East Kilbride.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its role is in respect of the determination of future usage of the former National Engineering Laboratory at East Kilbride.

Mr Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The facility is owned by Scottish Enterprise, as part of its larger asset the Scottish Enterprise Technology Park. The facility has not been operational since 2000. Alternative testing facilities are available elsewhere in the UK and Western Europe.

National Engineering Laboratory

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the risks will be to the environment if the seismic and structural testing facility at the former National Engineering Laboratory at East Kilbride ceases to be operational.

Mr Jim Wallace: The facility has not been operational since 2000. Alternative testing facilities are available elsewhere in the UK and Western Europe.

Police

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it costs to train a police officer.

Cathy Jamieson: Police officers receive training throughout their careers. The overall cost of such training will vary from officer to officer depending on their career path. Officers receive training at the Scottish Police College, within their own force and, on occasion, at facilities outside Scotland. While comprehensive information on the costs of such training is not held centrally, an exercise undertaken by the Scottish Police College in 2002-03 gave an estimate of the costs to the college of delivering probationer training to be around £4,250 per probationer.

Population

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote a higher population and birth rate.

Mr Andy Kerr: Population levels are the result of birth rates, death rates and patterns of migration. Birth rates reflect decisions which are for individuals rather than government. Where people do decide to have children the Scottish Executive is providing support through the increased resources being made available for childcare and school education, while the UK Government also has a range of measures to help families with children through the tax and benefit system. As a result of better health care, many more people now survive into adulthood and later life. Managed migration can play an important role in ensuring that we have a vibrant and diverse population, which aids economic growth. The initiative on fresh talent promotes such migration.

Renewable Energy

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of total electricity consumption in Ayrshire is currently generated by wind turbines, giving the comparative figures for electricity consumption and the amount generated by wind farms.

Lewis Macdonald: The Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), prepared by the Department of Trade and Industry, is currently unable to publish regional data on the supply and consumption of electricity. Ways in which regional and sub-regional data might be collected in future are currently being examined.

Renewable Energy

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much electricity it estimates will be generated each year by the proposed wind turbines at Dalmellington, Ayrshire.

Lewis Macdonald: We have not made any such estimate. The amount of electricity produced by the project referred to will depend on the number of turbines which receive planning consent, and on the capacity factor of any subsequent development.

Residential Care

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in ending the distinction between payments to care homes operated by local authorities and homes in the voluntary and independent sectors.

Mr Tom McCabe: Section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948 requires local authorities to set the fees for local authority care home places at an amount equivalent to the full cost to the authority of providing them. Under section 26 of that act, payments for independent sector care home places are simply the contract rates agreed between the local authority and the provider. The Executive has no plans to amend this legislation.

Residential Care

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current basis of funding for care homes of retail price index plus one percent maintains the number of care home beds required.

Mr Tom McCabe: The current basis of funding was determined by the National Review Group established by the Scottish Executive, and with a membership drawn also from COSLA and the care sector, to find a long-term solution to the issue of care home fees. The group's recommendations, which run until 31 March 2005, were accepted, and have been met in full.

  It is for local commissioners of care - local authorities and NHS boards - to determine what level of provision is required to meet local needs and to seek to secure an appropriate range of services.

Residential Care

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities operate care homes.

Mr Tom McCabe: All 32 local authorities in Scotland operate care homes. In addition, they place clients in care homes operated by independent sector providers.

  At September 2003, local authorities in Scotland provided 272 care homes. This amounts to 17 per cent of the 1,576 care homes; and 16 per cent of the 43,125 care home places. However, local authorities account for around 38% of short-stay and respite care admissions to care homes. The table below shows the breakdown of care home numbers and places, by local authority area, for local authority run care homes.

  


Local Authority Area

No. of Care Homes

No. of Places



Aberdeen City

15

324



Aberdeenshire

19

367



Angus

6

154



Argyll and Bute

9

144



Clackmannanshire

2

52



Dumfries and Galloway

2

13



Dundee City

10

216



East Ayrshire

6

116



East Dunbartonshire

1

11



East Lothian

4

136



East Renfrewshire

1

34



Edinburgh, City of

29

730



Eilean Siar

14

178



Falkirk

7

178



Fife

12

371



Glasgow, City of

21

872



Highland

24

350



Inverclyde

3

66



Midlothian

3

131



Moray

1

4



North Ayrshire

8

142



North Lanarkshire

13

408



Orkney Islands

4

85



Perth and Kinross

4

145



Renfrewshire

8

244



Scottish Borders

7

213



Shetland Islands

4

62



South Ayrshire

6

112



South Lanarkshire

12

345



Stirling

4

79



West Dunbartonshire

8

227



West Lothian

5

159



Scotland

272

6,668



  Source: SEHD SCHC Census.

Residential Care

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to local authorities in respect of payment for care home places purchased from the voluntary and independent sectors.

Mr Tom McCabe: Under the National Assistance Act 1948, the standard rate for accommodation in homes not managed by the local authority is the gross cost to the local authority of providing or purchasing the accommodation under a contract with the independent sector home.

Social Work

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit and scope is of the forthcoming review of social work and who will be represented on the group undertaking the review.

Peter Peacock: The remit of the fundamental look at social work which I intend to call "21st Century Social Work", is to define the role for social work and social workers for the 21st century; to explore how to improve quality assurance mechanisms and embed a culture of continuous improvement, strengthen the leadership and management of the profession to ensure more consistently effective delivery of services, to improve the capacity and the confidence of the professionals who deliver services, to deliver services in the diverse landscape of modern service provision, and to consider whether the legislative framework, including the Social work (Scotland) Act 1968, remains fit for purpose. The role of the Chief Social Work Officer will be specifically addressed in this context.

  The scope will cover the full range of client groups including children, young people and families, vulnerable adults and offenders. It will focus primarily on qualified social workers, but will also include the services provided by social care workers and the work will have implications for our partner agencies including health, education and the police.

  21st century social work will be led by an independent group with the right blend of experience, knowledge and skills. The members of the group sit in a personal capacity, they do not represent any particular organisation or interest.

  The following individuals have agreed to serve on the group:

  Douglas Bulloch - Chair, Scottish Children's Reporter Administration

  Alan Campbell - Chief Executive, Aberdeenshire Council

  Stephen Ebbitt - Chief Executive, Glasgow Simon Community

  Alexis Jay - Director of Social Work, West Dunbartonshire Council, and President ADSW

  Anne-Marie Rafferty - Area Services Manager, East, Glasgow Social Work Department

  Deirdre Watson - Director, Who Cares? Scotland.

  The group will have a professional advisor - Carole Wilkinson, Chief Executive, Scottish Social Services Council.

  In addition, I expect a head teacher from an integrated community school, a senior academic and a leading representative from the private sector to join the group.

  The group will be chaired by William Roe, who has extensive experience of social policy in Scotland and more widely and on strategic change and innovation in major public service organisations in Scotland, the UK and abroad.

  21st Century Social Work is an important opportunity for all concerned to have their say in shaping future social work services in Scotland.

Student Finance

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances course fees would be paid for HND students who repeat any part of their course.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Student Awards Agency for Scotland can pay tuition fees on behalf of higher education students for repeated or extended study where there are medical or strong compassionate reasons such as the death or serious illness of a close relative.

Student Finance

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the cost of an HND course fee is paid for by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and whether this contribution is considered as student support for the purpose of calculating future assistance.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) allocates funding for teaching to higher education institutions in the form of a block grant. Allocations are based on the number of funded places in each of 13 funding subject groups and the unit resource cost attributed to each group. Institutions are not, however, required to allocate the funding internally using the same formula. The proportion of the cost of providing a particular HND course which is attributable to SHEFC funding will, therefore, depend partly upon decisions made by individual institutions.

  From academic year 2004-05 the fact that a student has previously taken up a place on a SHEFC funded course will be disregarded by SAAS when assessing a student's eligibility for tuition fee support.